Wolves turn on the style

Warrington scored a stylish 40-24 victory against Leeds on Saturday night as coach Tony Smith enjoyed his first Super League success against his former club.

In a repeat of last year's Challenge Cup final, the Wolves ran in seven tries in all against an error-prone Rhinos side and were particularly dominant either side of half time at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Leeds took the lead through Kallum Watkins before the mistakes crept in and Warrington took advantage. Three tries in eight minutes for Rhys Evans, Lee Briers and Richard Myler turned the match around - the home side displaying no little skill as they took charge.

More followed for Chris Riley, Simon Grix and Joel Monaghan and although Brent Webb and Ryan Hall hit back for the visitors, Mick Higham's late score halted any thoughts of a comeback.

Warrington climb to second in the table on the strength of the result, although they would have gone top on points difference but for the late tries Leeds scored.

Good chance

Briers had a good chance to put the first points on the board after six minutes but, with the Rhinos' defence having parted as he cut towards the left-hand corner, he elected to chip through - without success - to Riley when continuing his run seemed the better option.

Leeds showed them how to do it four minutes later with their first break of the match. A fine, flowing move was started halfway by Kevin Sinfield, whose looping pass found Lee Smith on the right wing.

Smith then fed the ball back to the captain, whose offload found Watkins bursting through to score by the posts, with Sinfield kicking the extras.

Warrington captain Adrian Morley, who picked up a knock in the opening moments, departed soon afterwards, with the Rhinos going eight points clear after 18 minutes when Sinfield kicked a long-range penalty.

The home side soon pegged the gap back though, and it was the teenager Evans who carved his way through for his first Super League try after Ali Lauitiiti had knocked on deep in Leeds territory, with Brett Hodgson converting.

The Wolves almost scored a second moments later when Joel Monaghan nearly got on the end of a kick to the corner but it came soon enough - Weller Hauraki's pass being intercepted by Briers, who sprinted unopposed to the right-hand corner.

Hodgson could not convert but did after the feast Warrington then served up. Riley provided the inspiration with a blistering run down the left flank, with Evans then cutting inside before finding Myler to cross.

Myler was seeing stars moments later when he took a big hit from Ben Cross off the ball and although he and Keith Senior conceded a penalty for interference four minutes before half time, Warrington could not make it count - the ball being knocked on before Joel Monaghan could ground it.

Faint hope

Play was then held up briefly after Sinfield was involved an accidental collision with Watkins but the half ended with Warrington's fourth after Leeds had again lost possession. Reacting quickly, Michael Monaghan played a deft chip to the left-hand corner, where Riley arrived at speed to touch down.

Hodgson made it 22-8 and matters worsened for Leeds right at the start of the second half when, after Cross knocked on, Grix easily cut through the opposing defence to score, with Hodgson converting.

He did again after Warrington scored their sixth in the 56th minute, with Joel Monaghan crossing at the end of a left-to-right move in which a neat dummy by Briers - who supplied the final pass - was the highlight.

Webb gave Leeds the faintest of hopes when he ran on to Sinfield's chip - the skipper also converting - and with 20 minutes left, the question was whether they could mount an unlikely comeback.

Leeds certainly tried, ratcheting up their possession with Hall scoring in both the 65th and 78th minutes and Sinfield managing one conversion.

However, they never looked convincing - their passes were still going astray - and when Higham crossed with 10 minutes remaining, with Hodgson again converting, the visitors' momentum was snuffed out.